


Wrong Impressions

by KibaSin



Series: Past Time [32]
Category: Fruits Basket, InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-20
Updated: 2013-07-20
Packaged: 2017-12-20 18:58:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/890704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KibaSin/pseuds/KibaSin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She wanted to prove that she wasn't just some burden handed off to him. She wanted to prove to him that she could do the things that he said, even when he didn't believe it himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrong Impressions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any material belonging to the creators of Inuyasha or Fruits Basket.

* * *

"Oh, who could that be?" she asked, blinking slightly as she moved toward the door. Sliding it open, she blinked in surprise and smiled. "Ayame-san!"

Shigure rose from the table instantly, cheerfully asking, "Aaya, what brings you here?"

The other two boys sitting at the table grumbled to themselves when the proud, smiling man stepped into the room, but then reached his hand out, only for another to be placed into his. They glanced up, blinking in surprise when a pretty young woman followed after Ayame, blushing a bit from the treatment. Or maybe it was the fancy clothing she was wearing, which they could only bet had been made by the costume shop owner himself.

"Ah, I came to show off my lovely fiancée, of course, Gure-san," Ayame smiled, allowing the woman to grip onto his arm, and smiled down at her. Turning his head up, he cast his eyes around and when they landed on a certain person, he asked, "Yuki-kun, are you not happy to see your elder brother so happy? Or perhaps you're still stunned by the fact that you're beginning to finally follow in my footsteps and rather enjoy the adventure!"

Yuki twitched, "I don't think so."

"How can you go from one topic to another without getting yer ass confused?" Kyo asked.

Ayame sighed, shaking his head as he looked down at the woman beside him. "It seems that not even Kyonkichi can find it in his heart to give you a chance my pretty flower," he moaned.

Shigure blinked, "You're getting married, Aaya?" Tears filled his eyes, "So romantic, yet so mean of you, Aaya! When did you plan to tell me, when you were already off on the honeymoon?"

"Of course not, Gure-san," Ayame said with a wave of his hand. "I simply had to inform the others first!"

Shigure tipped his head down, feeling rather unwell. "I'm always the last to know," he whimpered. "Always!"

Tohru smiled, "You're getting married! That's so wonderful, Ayame-san! But, may I ask, um, who are you?" She turned her attention to the woman blushing on Ayame's arm, clinging to him almost as if nothing else was around.

The woman smiled, her deep blue eyes twinkling. "I am Sohma Kagome," she said, tilting her head slightly to one side. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Ayame was talking about how much you were blossoming while Hatori drove us here."

Tohru blinked, "Sohma?"

Ayame nodded, "Yes, yes, Tohru-kun! Kagome is related, but very distantly from Yuki-kun and my side of the family. Akito felt it wise to have her married once she was reunited with the family and decided that I, the wonderful Sohma Ayame, was the best candidate." He smiled proudly, "I am honored to be the one who has such a lovely woman to parade around. It means that I have finally gained something that Gure-san has secretly wanted all his life! And I bet that Yuki-kun and Kyonkichi are slightly envious now that they've seen her!"

"Stop calling me that, you bastard!" Kyo yelled, rising from his seat.

Ayame gasped, "Such vulgar language in front of a lady, you should be ashamed Kyonkichi!"

Shigure nodded, "Yes, Aaya is correct. From now on, Kyo-kun, I ban you from using such language while Gome-chan is here!"

"You can't do that!" Kyo hissed.

"I can," Shigure said, crossing his arms, "and I will, by enforcing the fact that you're living underneath my roof."

Kyo grumbled, lowering himself back into his seat, and turned away from them. Glancing at Yuki, he saw that the rat was shaking his head slightly and smiling into his cup of tea. "Why the hell are you so smug, you damn rat?" he growled.

"Nothing," Yuki said.

"Yeah right its nothing," Kyo said. "If you've got somethin' to say, then say it to my face, you damn rat!"

"Now, why would I wish to do that,  _Kyonkichi_?" Yuki smirked.

Kyo bristled.

Ayame sighed happily, "Finally, Yuki-kun is showing that he cares!" He turned his head once more, and stared down at the woman simply staying quiet, holding onto him as if he was the only one there. "Ah, my pretty flower, you do not need to be so shy! Speak up, speak up!"

"I…" she blushed looking up at him. "I have nothing to say."

"Such a rare creature you are," Ayame said, gripping her chin between the fingers of his left hand. "Truly beautiful and so caring to another's feeling when you do not wish to hurt them! I do not believe I could have gotten a better woman!"

She blushed a little more, turning her head away. "Um…"

Shigure blinked at them. Smiling, he motioned toward the table and said, "Why don't you take a seat, Gome-chan? I'm sure that all this excitement is a bit overwhelming for even yourself. You should relax and allow us to take care of you, Gome-chan!" A gleam entered his eye and he was slightly stunned when Ayame shot him a small scowl, before nodding, and leading the woman toward the table. Blinking in surprise, Shigure went to follow, only for Ayame to return to him and grip his arm.

"I wished to speak with you alone for a while, Gure-san," Ayame smiled. "I'm sure that my flower will be fine on her own, won't you, Kagome?"

"Oh, yes," she nodded. "I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me."

"If you insist," Shigure said, feeling Ayame tugging him into his study. Once inside, he watched as Ayame shut the door, before turning to take a seat in his chair, sighing a bit as he leaned his head back. "Are you alright, Aaya?"

"Yes, yes," Ayame said. "I'm getting married, after all."

"What is it you wanted to talk about?" Shigure asked. "You seemed so happy, yet you are very tense now." Bringing his hand up, he grasped his chin between his fingers and tilted his head a bit, his eyes questioning. "Is there something wrong? Truly, Ayame, do not lie to me."

Ayame sighed again, waving his hand toward the door, "It is that woman!"

"What's wrong with her?" Shigure asked. "She seemed like the loveliest thing you could ever find, and she is a Sohma."

"Yes, yes, she is very lovely," Ayame said, waving his hand about a bit more. His eyes closed and he scowled a bit, "But she was not something I had planned for myself. I wished to simply run my shop, not have a woman tossed on top of all that!"

Shigure stared, watching as Ayame turned so that he was leaning onto his hand, his elbow propped up onto his desk. "Gome-chan seemed to be very kind, as well. She seemed to care about your feelings more than her own, what more could you ask for?"

"Perhaps a woman that was not simply dumped onto me," Ayame said. "Akito simply decided that she needed to be married once he found her again; that she needed to be with another Sohma who would watch over her and give her children one day. I tried so hard to get Akito to hand her off to Kureno, Hatori, or maybe even you, but Akito decided that I would be the one to hold onto her! I do not know why, I did not exactly care! True, Kagome is very kind, she is always thinking about other people, as I have noticed, but what good is a woman who must be watched every second of the day?"

"Have you asked her what she is able to do?" Shigure asked.

"No," Ayame said. "Why would I wish for such useless information, Gure-san? But, I am positive that Akito merely made this decision because he wanted her to stay within the family, and knew that I run my own store. Akito probably also knew that she is useless, unable to cook or clean or sew or anything that I might find remotely useful in a woman, and thus thrust her into my arms."

"How do you know she can't do those things if you've never asked her, Aaya?" Shigure tried again, prying into the personal life of his old friend. He'd known Ayame to always go with his own feelings and look after himself, but marriage was a big thing, especially if Akito found the woman so important that he chose someone within the family for her to be married to. Or perhaps Akito was waiting for her children to be born? What was so important about her that Akito decided all of this as soon as she was reunited with the family?

Ayame blinked in confusion, but then shook his head. "It is useless to ask such of a woman when you know you'll get the answer 'no'," he said.

* * *

She sat there, a tear running down her face as she listened to the words coming from behind the thin wall. She'd left the children not long ago, feeling the need to be alone, instead of having question after question thrown at her from Yuki and Kyo. Tohru had gone to begin dinner, and she had felt it would be rude to intrude into another's kitchen without permission. Still, she hadn't expected to hear what her to-be-husband actually thought of her. She should have known, Akito was always telling her that she wasn't any good, that she would never be able to please a husband. She should have listened to the family head and never come back to see Hatsuharu. She had missed him, her dearest cousin, and she hadn't been able to stay away.

 

She hated the fact that she was burden to another person. She hated the fact that she was sitting there listening to Ayame talk of such things. She scowled a little, and her eyes narrowed. She knew she wasn't a burden when it came to those things he'd mentioned, though. She could cook, and she could clean, and she wasn't useless when it came to things around a house. She wasn't useless. She could do it.

Standing, her scowl still in place, she wiped at the tears running down her face. Kagome knew it was just to good to be true when Akito had told her she was going to be married to one of the best in their family. She knew that Ayame was the snake when he transformed, she knew that he was overly confident and seemed to be very fond of his work, but he had no right. Akito had most likely  _dumped_  her on him because Akito knew Ayame would instantly come to those conclusions and never ask her anything. Akito was  _trying_  to make her a burden to another person.

Eyes widening, Kagome allowed her scowl to disappear. This was Akito's fault. Even if it was, though, she wasn't going to allow Ayame to believe such things. She could do them, and she would. Her head dropped, for she knew that she had no way of doing so. She couldn't suddenly make food appear out of nowhere, but she didn't wish to wait to show him. She wanted to at that moment, to take him something that she had just made in order to show him that she wouldn't be a burden to him, she wouldn't. Not ever, not like the last time.

Turning a corner, she found herself peeking into the kitchen, and watched as Honda Tohru moved around, mostly slicing certain vegetables. Blinking, Kagome smiled when she realized what Tohru was making, and almost silently moved into the kitchen. However, she jumped when the floor squeaked and she heard Tohru give a small cry, turning toward her with wide eyes. Bringing her hands up, she said, "Please forgive me, Tohru-san. I-I merely wished…"

Tohru blinked, "Oh, you scared me, Kagome-san! Is there something you want? Oh, I forgot to ask if you were going to be staying and if you wanted something special for dinner? After all, you're getting married to Ayame-san, and it's only fair to make you something special."

Her eyes dimmed. "I… I actually hoped to make something myself."

Tohru's mouth formed a small 'o', while she blinked again. "Well, if you really want to, Kagome-san, I don't mind."

Lifting her head, she clasped her hands together. "You would allow me to do that?"

"Of course," Tohru beamed.

She looked down, and her eyes lost the slight gleam of happiness they'd contained.

Tohru caught the look, and glanced at the glamorous kimono that the Sohma was wearing. She knew that Ayame had most likely made it. The black fabric was very pretty, especially with the golden designs that matched her light make-up and hairpiece. Smiling, she said, "But you can't wear that, silly. I think I have something that will fit you, or we can get something of Sohma-sama's or Kyo-kun's for you. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"I wouldn't wish to impose," Kagome said.

"Think nothing of it, Kagome-san!" Tohru said. "Here, we'll go get you out of that kimono and then we can come back and you can make whatever you want to. Oh, may a ask why you wish to make something?"

A sad look formed onto her face. "I wish to prove him wrong."

"Who?" Tohru asked.

"Ayame," Kagome said, clasping her hands together again. She turned her face away, her eyes looking toward the floor. "I heard him say something, and I wish to prove to him that I can do something that he believes I can't. I… I really want to."

Tohru smiled. Tilting her head to one side, she nodded in understanding. She wondered what it was that Ayame had said to make her look so sad, but there was a light in her eyes when she spoke of making her own food. She was sure that whatever she wanted to make, she was an expert at, and she hoped Ayame liked it. She really did.

* * *

"Wow."

 

"You have truly out done yourself this time, Tohru-chan!" Shigure cheered, tears coming to his eyes as he took another bite of the food set in front of him. He quickly took another, trying to savor the taste, yet wanting to get as much as he could. He wasn't sure if he'd ever tasted anything so good.

"Oh, well, I—" Tohru tried to say, her eyes catching Kagome's. The older woman was simply sipping at the tea in front of her, her eyes downcast as she was given the praise she deserved. Tohru tried to speak, but her eyes turned to Yuki as he nodded, giving her his attention.

"Yes, this meal is most wonderful, Honda-san," Yuki said.

"It is only natural that such a wonderful young woman would be able to create such a masterpiece in her own kitchen," Ayame cheered, smiling brightly. Bringing his chopsticks up to his mouth, he stopped when he noticed something. "Kagome?"

Tohru allowed her head to fall a bit.

"Tohru-chan?"

Kyo glanced up, his mouth stuffed. "Hey… whaa the h'lls wrang wih yu?" He pointed his chopsticks at the two girls, noticing that they were both not eating. Tohru had simply shaken her head at first and set her chopsticks down, but that Kagome chick had not eaten anything at all, her face down.

"Are you alright, Honda-san?" Yuki asked, a frown appearing on his lips. "You stopped eating soon after you started. You need to eat in order to keep your strength up."

"But I—"

"Yes, yes," Shigure said. "We can't have our little Tohru-chan stop eating! Eat, Tohru-chan! Eat!"

Ayame blinked, his head tilting to one side. "Kagome?" he asked again.

Frowning, Tohru clenched her hands. She whispered what she wanted to say, hoping that they'd catch it, since they'd already stopped her from talking twice already. She wanted them to acknowledge the fact that the wonderful food set in front of them was made by Sohma Kagome, not Honda Tohru. She really wanted them to let her tell them that, though she was thankful that they cared about her health, because she'd seen how happy Kagome had looked while working in the kitchen. She'd watched her move, and she'd known that was her environment; she wanted the others to see that.

" _Are you sure?" she asked, glancing back from the pan in front of her._

_Tohru smiled, watching her move. "Oh, yes. I'm positive it'll come out better if you do it yourself."_

_The woman dressed in slightly oversized clothing smiled, continuing with her work. "Thank you, Honda Tohru."_

" _There's no reason to thank me," Tohru blushed._

_She turned completely, a bright smile plastered on her face. "Would you like to try some before the others, Tohru-san?"_

" _Oh, yes!" She came forward, and allowed the elder woman to place the food into her mouth. Her eyes widened and she clapped her hands together while chewing, nodding at the taste. It was very good._

"What was that, Honda-san?" Yuki asked.

"I said…"

Shigure lifted his chopsticks, his mouth opening to talk. He stopped when suddenly another pair of chopsticks was stuffed into his mouth, and Yuki glared at him.

"Allow Honda-san to speak, Shigure-san," Yuki hissed. He then turned his attention toward the girl, his eyes silently telling her to speak.

"I," she whispered, but then frowned at herself. Her voice raised, "I didn't make this food."

Yuki and Kyo blinked, "What?"

Shigure blinked in surprise, as well. "Did you order takeout, Tohru-chan?"

Tohru shook her head.

"Then… who made this food?" Shigure asked.

Ayame's eyes widened, and he stared at the woman sitting next to him. Now that he thought about it, her obi had been tied perfectly by Mine, the woman absolutely loving the fact that Ayame was marrying such a beautiful woman that she could dress up at any given time. The kimono was slightly ruffled now, like it had been taken off and put back on, and her obi was tied only half as good as he remembered it being. "You?" he asked, dropping his chopsticks.

Kagome nodded silently, taking another sip of her tea.

"Gome-chan made this delicious food?!" Shigure gasped. He knew that Ayame should have gotten over his whole 'never ask a woman a question when you already know the answer' crap.

"Yes," Tohru said. "She asked me, and I let her."

"My Kag-chan made this food?" Ayame said, a smile tugging at his lips. He noticed that Kagome was looking at him from the corner of her eye, obviously not used to anyone using such an adoring tone toward her. He wouldn't be surprised; he'd heard some of the things Akito had shouted at her before he'd met her.

"Aaya?" Shigure asked, a little frightened from the twinkle in Ayame's eye. The last time he'd seen that twinkle he had been dressed up in twenty different  _girly_ outfits, and it still made him shudder to think about it.

Ayame and Kyo moved at the same time, though it was kind of scary to see the snake and cat fighting over the food set on the table. Kyo moved because he'd seen Ayame move, and knew that blasted snake was up to no good and would try to get as much as he could. Ayame moved because he wanted to be the one to eat the most of his future wife's food, just in case she found out what he'd said and refused to make him anything for a long time. Ayame practically growled in Kyo's face, making the cat jump backwards at the sound, not expecting such a sound to come out of the snake's throat.

"Aaya!" Shigure shouted. "What are you doing?"

Ayame paused for a moment, glancing up at his relative. "I'm not going to allow any of you to take more of  _my_  Kag-chan's food than me!" he hissed.

"But, Aaya…" Shigure said, "Gome-chan will live with you. You'll be able to eat her food  _all_  the time. This is our treat!" He jumped forward, his chopsticks looking like weapons as he shouted the last piece. He growled in Ayame's face, both of them beginning to nearly shovel food into their mouths, barely taking a moment to even swallow.

"I'm the one getting married, Gure-san!" Ayame hissed. "This should be my treat!"

"But you'll just keep Gome-chan to yourself and never bring her here to share those delicious meals you'll get everyday!" Shigure snapped. "This is  _our_  treat, Aaya!"

Tohru smiled, beginning to giggle behind her hand, as she watched Kagome's face brighten. Picking her chopsticks up again, she said, "Itadakimasu!"

Yuki shook his head, muttering, "Idiots."

Kyo finally pulled himself off the floor growling, turning his darkening eyes up to the food on the table. Launching himself into the fray between Shigure and Ayame as they tried to eat as much food as they could.

Ayame paused again, and then turned his eyes up to the woman sitting at his side, smiling at him. A smile formed on his lips when she picked up a napkin and wiped the side of his face. "I can't help but wonder, Kag-chan, what else you can do," he said, ignoring the others.

"Well," Kagome said. She tapped her finger against her chin, "I can… cook, clean, sew, and do a lot of other things around a home. My mother was an excellent teacher."

"I must say she was if she taught you how to make such a delicious meal!" Ayame said. "Together, we're perfect! I can make lots of outfits for you to wear around the house, whether you wish to play maid or cook or—" He stopped when her fingers touched his lips, his smile still bright.

"I'd like that, Ayame," she said.

He couldn't stop himself, he hugged her, causing everyone in the room to pause in what they were doing.

A grin formed onto Shigure's lips, and he finally asked, "So, when  _is_  the wedding?"

_\--Fin_


End file.
